Lightning strikes on the Great Wall in Beijing injured nine tourists on Thursday.

The nine included three Americans, two from Hong Kong and four from other Chinese provinces. They were injured at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday after lightning strikes hit a balefire tower on the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the emergency response office of the suburban Huairou District government said.

They were receiving treatment in hospital and were not in danger.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)